Dear Mr. President
supporter
Posted by Richard Bonine, Jr. (+15535) 11 years ago
Dear President Obama:

Given what I have seen in the current election cycle, you are my preferred candidate. I am, however, concerned about the tone of your campaign and your unnecessary preoccupation with Mr. Romney. Left to their own devices, the republican party will self-destruct. I would like to encourage you to take a different tactic and go on offense. The facts, sir, are on your side.

A major factor in creating jobs is demand. The 1% who have enjoyed many years of tax-breaks are not investing their economic resources in this economy. They are sitting on their profit. Thus, a responsible government should take charge of this situation and create demand by spending money on three important areas; education, research, and infrastructure.

According to the CBO, our spending on infrastructure is 2.4% of GDP. Our competitor nations are spending 2 to 3 times this amount of money. China is currently spending 9% of GDP on infrastructure. Let's begin replacing worn roads, bridges, water systems, flood control structures, and electrical systems. Programs that focus on infrastructure will help create the demand for all sorts of goods and services and will revive our economy.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States was ranked 1st in college graduations in the 1970's. As of 2009, we are ranked 14th. Investing in the education of the next generation is something that we should be doing. There is no reason that our children should be graduating from college with $50,000 to $100,000 dollars in debt. We cannot compete in a world economy if we don't have the best educated people.

In 2009, research was half the share of GDP that is was in 1960. Annual growth for research and development spending - private and public - was 5.8 percent between 1996 and 2007; in South Korea it was 9.6?percent; in Singapore, 14.5 percent; in China, 21.9?percent.

Over the last 30 years, our there has been a shift in our economy. This shift is NOT, as republicans claim, due to increases in taxes and regulation. Rather, it is due to our failure to invest in human and physical capital.

Mr. President, I want to encourage you to refocus your campaign on a vision of two futures; one where we invest in ourselves and a retooling of our infrastructure to compete in a grobal economy, and one where we fail to do those things and simply continue to try cutting the expenses of social programs,hope that the 1% will finally spend some of their money and create a little demand, and reward their own selfish greed with tax-cuts. Please use the bully-pulpit of your position to educate America on why investing in human and physical capital, with such low interest rates is such a responsible course of action.

I would also like to see you propose some reform to your healthcare act. I believe that NOW is the time to simplify and reform this system into a single-payer healthcare system. Let's have the government focus on one thing, being the single payer for medical costs and stay out of the healthcare end of things. The Australian medicare system could serve as a great model for what our system should look like.

Sir, if you will champion these ideas in a fresh and bold manner, we the people will support you in your effort. You don't need to rely on half-truths and weak arguments. Please be bold and relentless in making your case. You will render republicans irrelevant and win in a landslide. Thank you for your time.

Richard Bonine, Jr.
Gillette, WY
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Posted by S (+117) 11 years ago
Richard, out of curiosity have you gone any other way to get Obama to see this because I don't think he will be getting on milescity.com anytime soon. I think this is good though just to let you know.
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supporter
Posted by Richard Bonine, Jr. (+15535) 11 years ago
Yes, I have. Posted it to the Whitehouse website.
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Posted by Kacey (+3157) 11 years ago
Nice post Richard!
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Posted by S (+117) 11 years ago
OK just thought I would ask. I hope he listens...did anyone reply to it on that website
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Posted by GCC (-604) 11 years ago
Richard, what you're hoping for is a leader, sadly we don't have one.
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supporter
Posted by Bridgier (+9526) 11 years ago
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Posted by mule train (+1053) 11 years ago
Good post.
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supporter
Posted by Jeri Dalbec (+3270) 11 years ago
A great letter Richard. I do favor "Medicare for All"...! Just a comment...a Leader is one who precedes and is followed by others in CONDUCT, OPINION, UNDERTAKING, etc. Unfortunately, our President has had to rely on representatives who hate him more than they care for the people of our country. In spite of that, I think he has amazingly managed to accomplish quite a bit. Looks like "Over the Cliff" may change a lot. Something to look forward to:-)
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supporter
Posted by howdy (+4953) 11 years ago
Excellent idea and hopefully one that will be embraced by the reelection team in Washington...Ya never know till ya try...thanks Richard for sharing your letter with us...
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founder
supporter
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Posted by Hal Neumann (+10369) 11 years ago
Good one Richard.
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supporter
Posted by Barb Holcomb (+405) 11 years ago
I was at the VFW convention in Reno yesterday to accept an award for our hospital and stayed for the President's speech. He received a lot of applause as he talked about his promises to veterans 4 years ago and how well he'd kept those promises. After the speech many in the crowd rushed to the barrier guarding the stage to get photos and try to shake his hand. I was in the front row of seats watching and this elderly gentleman in a wheeled chair tapped my arm. When I leaned down to hear him, he said "if all these people would actually vote for him, Obama wouldn't have any problem." This gentleman had been in one of the last segregated units in the Korean War.

I half-listened to Romney's speech to the same group this evening while skyping with my husband and it sounded like Romney also received a lot of applause.

It was an interesting experience. The highlight for me was meeting Joe Galloway (We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young) and Medal of Honor winner COL(R) Bruce Crandall.

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supporter
Posted by Bridgier (+9526) 11 years ago
Daniel Larison's thoughts on Romney's speech: http://www.theamericancon...w-speech-2

I wish every conservative nutjob I know would read and ponder Mr. Larison's columns on a daily basis.
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supporter
Posted by Steve Craddock (+2741) 11 years ago
Richard: Excellent advice to the President. Unfortunately, in the battle for the "undecided voter's vote", political advisors for both sides seem to believe the best use of their (seemingly un-)limited funds is to tear down the other guy rather than build up their own guy. To my recollection, this isn't a recent development, and the big loser is the integrity of the election process. Maybe your letter and others like it will change the tenor of the current campaign. I sure hope so, but I'm also not holding my breath (obviously! )

I'm aware that I'm not stating anything you don't already know. I guess I'm just expressing frustration with the "politics as usual" approach of both campaigns, and I do appreciate you expressing that frustration so eloquently and pointing out that there is a much better, more respectable, and ultimately more effective path to victory. I hope Obama's team listens.

Bridgier: Great link. Thanks for sharing!
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supporter
Posted by Gunnar Emilsson (+18634) 11 years ago
Yes, thanks for the link, Bridgier.

The last sentence in that piece is a riot.

Romney delivered the entire speech in that strained, almost incredulous-sounding tone he uses when he wants to convey emotion.
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